After storms, slight chance of showers today

More rain is forecast across the metropolitan area today, although not as severe as the line of thunderstorms that moved through Sunday.

Today will be mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the morning, according to the National Weather Service, followed by a chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon.

Highs will be in the upper 70s. Winds will gust up to 30 mph in the late morning and early afternoon.

A tornado watch issued by weather service for Cook County and much of northeast Illinois expired shortly before midnight.

Several severe thunderstorm warnings had been issued across the area Sunday night. The storms brought rain, hail and lightning, and caused some problems at Chicago's airports.

In the Chicago area, a line of severe thunderstorms flared around 3 p.m. just southwest of Chicago and moved northeast through close-in suburbs, the city itself and east over Lake Michigan into southern lower Michigan and through northwest Indiana, according to the Chicago Weather Center. Hail was reported in Arlington Heights, Villa Park and Lombard, among other communities.

A second round of severe storms hit the Chicago metro area in the early evening. Wind gusts between 75 and 80 miles per hour along with ping-pong-sized hail were reported from Ogle county through the Rockford area, McHenry and Lake counties into southeastern Wisconsin.

Nearly 2½ inches of rain fell near Dixon, Ill.

As of 8:30 p.m., over 150 flights had been canceled at O'Hare International Airport, and there were delays averaging between 60 and 90 minutes, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

"Minor" delays were reported at Midway Airport but no cancellations, the department said.